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Behavioral Health Crisis Services Expansion Act
Behavioral Health Crisis Services Expansion Act
117TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
S. 1902
To empower communities to establish a continuum of care for individuals
experiencing mental or behavioral health crisis, and for other purposes.
A BILL
To empower communities to establish a continuum of care
for individuals experiencing mental or behavioral health
crisis, and for other purposes.
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1 for use by health care providers and communities in re-
2 sponding to individuals experiencing a mental or behav-
3 ioral health crisis, including those individuals with co-oc-
4 curring substance use disorders (referred to in this section
5 as the ‘‘crisis response continuum’’).
6 (b) REQUIREMENTS.—
7 (1) SCOPE OF STANDARDS.—Such standards
8 shall define—
9 (A) minimum requirements of core crisis
10 services, as determined by the Secretary, to in-
11 clude requirements that each entity that fur-
12 nishes such services should—
13 (i) not require prior authorization
14 from an insurance provider nor referral
15 from a health care provider prior to the de-
16 livery of services;
17 (ii) serve all individuals regardless of
18 age or ability to pay;
19 (iii) operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a
20 week, and provide care to all individuals;
21 and
22 (iv) provide care and support through
23 resources described in paragraph (2)(A)
24 until the individual has been stabilized or
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1 transfer the individual to the next level of
2 crisis care; and
3 (B) psychiatric stabilization, including the
4 point at which a case may be closed for—
5 (i) individuals screened over the
6 phone; and
7 (ii) individuals stabilized on the scene
8 by mobile teams.
9 (2) IDENTIFICATION OF ESSENTIAL FUNC-
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1 fire, education institutions, and community-
2 based organizations.
3 (D) Description of the qualifications of cri-
4 sis services staff, including roles for physicians,
5 licensed clinicians, case managers, and peers (in
6 accordance with State licensing requirements).
7 (E) Requirements for the convention of
8 collaborative meetings of crisis response service
9 providers, first responders, and community
10 partners operating in a common region for the
11 discussion of case management, best practices,
12 and general performance improvement.
13 (3) SERVICE CAPACITY AND QUALITY STAND-
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1 ditions and physical disabilities experiencing be-
2 havioral health crises.
3 (4) OVERSIGHT AND ACCREDITATION.—The
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1 (ii) a reduction in inappropriate emer-
2 gency room admissions and readmissions;
3 and
4 (iii) evidence of adequate access to
5 crisis care centers and crisis bed services.
6 (B) RULEMAKING.—The Secretary shall
7 carry out this subsection through notice and
8 comment rulemaking, following a request for in-
9 formation from stakeholders.
10 (C) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIA-
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1 vidual in the service area in their home, workplace,
2 or any other community-based location of the indi-
3 vidual in crisis in a timely manner.
4 (3) CRISIS RECEIVING AND STABILIZATION FA-
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1 to receive crisis assessment, crisis intervention,
2 medication, and connection to continuity of care.
3 (5) ADDITIONAL FACILITIES AND PROVIDERS.—
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1 (B) in subparagraph (HH), by striking the
2 period at the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and
3 (C) by adding at the end the following new
4 subparagraph:
5 ‘‘(II) crisis response services as defined in sub-
6 section (lll);’’.
7 (2) CRISIS RESPONSE SERVICES DEFINED.—
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1 ity’ have the meaning given those terms for purposes of
2 such section.’’.
3 (3) PAYMENT.—Section 1833(a)(1) of the So-
4 cial Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395l(a)(1)) is amend-
5 ed—
6 (A) by striking ‘‘and (DD)’’ and inserting
7 ‘‘(DD)’’; and
8 (B) by inserting before the semicolon at
9 the end the following: ‘‘and (EE) with respect
10 to crisis response services described in section
11 1861(s)(2)(II), the amounts paid shall be 80
12 percent of the lesser of the actual charge for
13 the service or the fee schedule amount provided
14 under section 1848’’.
15 (4) AMBULANCE TRANSPORT OF INDIVIDUALS
16 IN CRISIS.—
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1 in section 1861(s)(7) shall provide coverage under
2 such section for ambulance services to transport an
3 individual experiencing a mental or behavioral health
4 crisis to an appropriate facility, such as a commu-
5 nity mental health center (as defined in section
6 1861(ff)(3)(B)) or other facility or provider identi-
7 fied by the Secretary as part of the crisis response
8 continuum of care under section 2 of the Behavioral
9 Health Crisis Services Expansion Act, as appro-
10 priate, for crisis response services described in sec-
11 tion 1861(s)(2)(II).’’.
12 (B) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section
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1 (A) in section 1902(a)(10)(A), in the mat-
2 ter preceding clause (i), by striking ‘‘and (30)’’
3 and inserting ‘‘(30), and (31)’’; and
4 (B) in section 1905—
5 (i) in subsection (a)—
6 (I) in paragraph (30), by striking
7 ‘‘; and’’ and inserting a semicolon;
8 (II) by redesignating paragraph
9 (31) as paragraph (32); and
10 (III) by inserting the following
11 paragraph after paragraph (30):
12 ‘‘(31) subject to subsection (jj), crisis response
13 services (as defined in section 1861(lll)); and’’; and
14 (ii) by adding at the end the following
15 new subsection:
16 ‘‘(jj) EXCEPTION TO REQUIREMENT TO PROVIDE
17 COVERAGE FOR CRISIS RESPONSE SERVICES.—The re-
18 quirement to provide services described in paragraph (31)
19 of subsection (a) shall not apply with respect to a State
20 for a fiscal year, if before the beginning of such year the
21 State certifies to the satisfaction of the Secretary that im-
22 plementing such requirement statewide for all individuals
23 eligible to enroll in the State plan (or waiver of the State
24 plan) would not be feasible by reason of a shortage of
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1 providing such treatment, that will contract with the State
2 or a managed care entity with which the State has a con-
3 tract under section 1903(m) or under section
4 1905(t)(3).’’.
5 (2) PRESUMPTIVE ELIGIBILITY DETERMINA-
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1 plan shall not be regarded as failing to comply
2 with the requirements of such title solely on the
3 basis of the failure of the plan to meet such ad-
4 ditional requirements before the 1st day of the
5 1st calendar quarter beginning after the close
6 of the 1st regular session of the State legisla-
7 ture that begins after the date of enactment of
8 this Act. For purposes of the previous sentence,
9 in the case of a State that has a 2-year legisla-
10 tive session, each year of such session shall be
11 deemed to be a separate regular session of the
12 State legislature.
13 (c) ESSENTIAL HEALTH BENEFITS.—Section
14 1302(b)(1)(E) of the Patient Protection and Affordable
15 Care Act (42 U.S.C. 18022(b)(1)(E)) is amended by in-
16 serting ‘‘and crisis response services (as defined in section
17 1861(lll) of the Social Security Act)’’ before the period.
18 (d) GROUP HEALTH PLANS.—Section 2707 of the
19 Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300gg–6) is amend-
20 ed by adding at the end the following:
21 ‘‘(e) CRISIS RESPONSE SERVICES.—A group health
22 plan or a health insurance issuer that offers health insur-
23 ance coverage in the large group market shall ensure that
24 such coverage includes crisis response services (as defined
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1 (e) TRICARE COVERAGE.—
2 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Defense
3 shall provide coverage under the TRICARE program
4 for crisis response services, as defined in section
5 1861(lll) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C.
6 1395x) (as amended by section 3).
7 (2) TRICARE PROGRAM DEFINED.—In this
8 section, the term ‘‘TRICARE program’’ has the
9 meaning given the term in section 1072 of title 10,
10 United States Code.
11 (f) REIMBURSEMENT FOR CRISIS RESPONSE SERV-
12 ICES FOR VETERANS.—Section 1725(f)(1) of title 38,
13 United States Code, is amended, in the matter preceding
14 subparagraph (A), by inserting ‘‘, including crisis response
15 services (as defined in subsection (lll) of section 1861 of
16 the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x)),’’ after ‘‘serv-
17 ices’’.
18 (g) COVERAGE UNDER FEHB.—
19 (1) IN GENERAL.—Section 8902 of title 5,
20 United States Code, is amended by adding at the
21 end the following:
22 ‘‘(p) Each contract for a plan under this chapter shall
23 require the carrier to provide coverage for crisis response
24 services, as that term is defined in subsection (lll) of sec-
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1 (2) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made
2 by paragraph (1) shall apply beginning with respect
3 to the third contract year for chapter 89 of title 5,
4 United States Code, that begins on or after the date
5 that is 3 years after the date of enactment of this
6 Act.
7 SEC. 4. BUILDING THE CRISIS CONTINUUM INFRASTRUC-
8 TURE.
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1 ‘‘(2) ALLOTMENTS.—Each fiscal year for which
2 amounts are appropriated under paragraph (1), the
3 Secretary shall allot to each State that receives a
4 grant under section 1911 for the fiscal year an
5 amount that bears the same relationship to the total
6 amount appropriated under paragraph (1) for the
7 fiscal year that the amount received by the State
8 under section 1911(a) for the fiscal year bears to
9 the total amount appropriated under subsection (a)
10 for the fiscal year.’’.
11 (b) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.—The Secretary of
12 Health and Human Services (referred to in this section
13 as the ‘‘Secretary’’) shall provide to States technical as-
14 sistance regarding the provision of crisis response services,
15 as defined in section 1861(lll) of the Social Security Act
16 (42 U.S.C. 1395x) (as amended by section 3), including
17 guidance on how States may blend Medicaid funds avail-
18 able to States under title XIX of the Social Security Act
19 (42 U.S.C. 1396 et seq.) and funds available to States
20 under the community mental health services block grant
21 program under subpart I of part B of title XIX of the
22 Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300x et seq.) and
23 the substance abuse prevention and treatment block grant
24 program under subpart II of part B of title XIX of such
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1 (c) CLEARINGHOUSE OF BEST PRACTICES.—The
2 Secretary shall develop and maintain a publicly available
3 clearinghouse of best practices for the successful operation
4 of each segment of the system for providing crisis response
5 services (as defined in section 1861(lll) of the Social Secu-
6 rity Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x) (as amended by section 3))
7 and the integration of such best practices into the provi-
8 sion of such services. The clearinghouse shall be updated
9 annually.
10 SEC. 5. INCIDENT REPORTING.
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1 (4) 911 dispatchers;
2 (5) representatives from each segment of the
3 crisis response continuum, as described in section 2,
4 including 988 dispatchers;
5 (6) individuals who have received services under
6 such crisis response continuum, including individuals
7 under the age of 18 and members of underserved
8 communities; and
9 (7) other individuals, as the Secretary deter-
10 mines appropriate.
11 (c) RECOMMENDATIONS.—
12 (1) TOPICS.—In issuing recommendations
13 under this section, the panel shall consider—
14 (A) connecting 911 callers to crisis care
15 services instead of responding with law enforce-
16 ment officers;
17 (B) integrating the 988 system into the
18 911 system, or transferring calls from the 911
19 system to the 988 system as appropriate; and
20 (C) a process for identifying 911 callers
21 who are in mental health distress and evalu-
22 ating the level of need of such callers, as de-
23 fined by standardized assessment tools such as
24 the Level of Care Utilization System (LOCUS)
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1 and the Child and Adolescent Level of Care
2 Utilization System (CALOCUS).
3 (2) UPDATES.—The panel shall update rec-
4 ommendations issued under this section not less fre-
5 quently than every 5 years.
Æ
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